Walden Media

If you've been watching a lot of recent films, you most likely have heard of Walden Media. They are a somewhat new company that produces family-friendly movies. Most of their productions are based on beloved children's books, such as Holes, Bridge to Terabithia, and the Narnia series. I have seen quite a few of their films, and they have been decent at worst. Some of their films I wouldn't pay to watch, but would check out from the library.
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I pretty much watch nothing but family films. In fact, probably the most morally egregious film I've willingly watched from beginning to end was The Devil Wears Prada, and despite the fact that it has a very good point, I will never watch that movie again because of all the unnecessary content. So, as you might expect, I commend what Walden Media is doing. I realize they've made some box office flops, but the only movie studio that has never had a single flop is Pixar, and how many movies do they currently have to their name? Plus, some movies that flop at the box office are actually pretty good in my opinion. People hated The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising because it wasn't like the book. Well, guess what? I tried reading the book, and found it boring and uninteresting, so much so that I gave up on it. Yet, the movie was actually not half-bad. I'll wait to see what Walden Media comes up with next, but I'm pretty sure that I'll like it, no matter what the critics say.
Any comments?

Am I a nerd?

For years, I have thought of myself as a nerd. I've gotten various replies to saying that I am one, including concurrences, dissension, and people who thought I shouldn't label myself. There are various characteristics that make up being a nerd, some of which I've noticed myself and others that others have said about me.
One of the biggest reasons I say I'm a nerd is because of how smart everyone thinks I am. While I was never anywhere near the top of my class in high school, people have repeatedly said that I'm a smart person. While I disagree with them, it's apparent that popular opinion says that I'm brilliant. Why do they think so? Well, it's several things: my ability to recognize spelling errors almost every time I see them; my ability to use advanced words without even thinking about it, leaving others wondering what the heck I'm talking about; all the random trivia I'm able to spout about pretty much any popular topic aside from sports; and the fact that I've gotten high scores on most standardized tests, including the highest possible score on a writing one in both middle and high school.
Another reason is because of my interests. Most of the time, what I was into was not popular with my peers. (The only exception I remember was when I was into Pokémon like every other kid my age back in 1999.) In high school, most of my friends watched MTV and network prime time shows. However, I spent most of my time praising Disney Channel's sitcoms. I also read some books that I wasn't required to read in high school, and a lot of people my age hate reading, even now, and especially the guys. My interest in sci-fi/fantasy and superhero films/books/etc., how much time I spend in front of a computer (read: on Facebook,) and the fact that I have no interest in going out and partying all night proves my point even further.
Now, despite the fact that I'm a nerd, I would not say that all or even most of my friends are the same way. Most of my friends play or have played sports in some form other than in a video game; they go out and do things with people at least sometimes; they don't spend too much time in front of a computer except for when required; and they don't obsess over anything, much less television shows or celebrities. Some of my friends do have somewhat nerdy tendencies (such as Jake's obsession with the military, Matthew's addiction to video games, Kate's fascination with weather, Bob's love for programming, Robert's craziness for anime, and Emily having read a lot of the Star Wars books); however, I still don't think any of them are anywhere near as nerdy as I am.
Of course, this is up to you to discuss, so I will ask you: Do you think I am a nerd? Why or why not? Do you know any other nerds? If I mentioned you in that list of friends, do you consider yourself a nerd, or no? Why or why not? Let me know the answers!

Parody Ideas: Which do YOU want to see?

So, I've been in the parody "business" for quite a while. Normally, it's just a way to get my feelings out, and they usually don't mean anything to anyone who doesn't know me. So, I want to ask you all, my friends, about which song you would rather see parodied. Here are some choices:
• "Potential Breakup Song" by Aly and AJ (I was thinking of turning it into "The 'Why Don't You Shut Up?' Song")
• "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" by Paula Abdul (I was considering making it about something online, i.e., "Blog Like There's No Tomorrow")
• "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi (One option for that is "You Give God a Bad Name")
• "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" by Gym Class Heroes (?)
• Any other suggestions you may have are appreciated.

The Bad Reputation of Christians

I know that probably not all of you who read what I write are Christians. Some of you who are not may wonder why I've said the things I've said about faith, religion, the Bible, etc. I really couldn't be an atheist, because when I look at how intricately the world is designed, with all its ecosystems, cycles and processes, there's no way it could have just happened by chance. (If you don't believe a divine being created the world, you can leave a comment explaining what your reasons to back that up are. Don't worry; I won't argue with you. :])
Anyway, so today I was at the library and saw a book called unChristian. The back cover said that it was getting the opinions of people (mostly young adults) and why they look down on Christians. Part of the reason is they only see what Christians are against (i.e., homosexuality, premarital sex, etc.) and don't really see the love that the Bible preaches. I have to confess that I'm guilty of that; several times, I've said that people who bullied or demeaned me are "going to pay at the end of time." While they could, so could anyone else, including me. No one is beyond redemption, and if any of my former bullies find God, then all their sins are washed away, even the ones against me. I've done some things that I knew were wrong before I did them, sometimes even to my friends. (You Facebook friends of mine can attest to that.) It took a while for me to realize that I was wrong and learn from my mistakes. I also did plenty of wrong things before becoming a Christian, but those are all gone.
I realize that I've been too quick to call out people when they were wrong. A friend of mine once said, "I'm glad you're not a cop with the law like you are a Christian with the Bible; otherwise, everyone would be in jail." It's as Jesus said:

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Why should I condemn someone for harassing me when I've done the exact same thing to people who were totally helpless (little kids, a dog, even my disabled older sister)? I may feel bad now about doing those things, but the recipients of the harassment never heard an apology from me. So, even though I may be pointing the finger at others, I'm just as bad as they are.
Now, for the topic of homosexuality. The Bible does say that it is a sin. To quote Galatians:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Now, here's the thing: I know there has been a debate about whether homosexuality is genetic or not. Well, as someone with a mental disability, let me talk about my struggle with another sin. When someone wrongs me, I want revenge. I've imagined more than once about blowing places up, as well as killing people and having someone else face the death penalty for it. However, that is a sin. God says to let Him take revenge on those who hurt His followers and to "love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." I think it's an autistic thing to want that, and autism is thought to be genetic. You know what, though? I have to overcome it. It's not going to be easy; heck, I know I've plotted hundreds of deaths while bored. Still, I hope that God will understand that it was hard for me, and that I tried my hardest to fight it. So, if homosexuality is genetic (and I'm not saying it is or isn't) and it's a sin, so is being autistic in a sense. You don't like the opposite gender? Well, then, you don't have to get married. In fact, a conveniently and commonly ignored passage in the Bible goes like this:

Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.

Just because you're a Christian does not mean that you have to marry and have kids! I may never be married, because I doubt any single woman (Christian or not) would want to marry a disabled person. You know what, though? God is not going to strike me down because I never found a spouse, and He won't strike anyone else down for that either.
I know, I've written a book here. However, I want your opinions. Am I being a stupid autistic in my beliefs? Am I right about the whole "being autistic is a sin" thing? Let me know what you think.